Overview Of Iran's Day Of Protest

Tehran's Hayateno daily has captured the mood of the day on
its front page:"The Green
Presence Of People On Quds Day"

Despite the violent crackdown on the last
demonstrations of Iranian protesters only two months ago, in the grips of a
fierce fear campaign of arrests, mass trials and reports of torture and rape of
detainees, and in immediate earshot of constant threats and warnings by
government security forces and the Revolutionary Guards, Iranian people from
every walk of life adamantly took to the streets once more today to shout out
their protest to the government that they believe has risen through blatant acts
of vote fraud and been supported by heinous acts of torture and murder of
dissidents.

From 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., the capital was witness to waves of protests in tens
of thousands shouting out revised slogans in contradiction to the customary
anti-Israeli slogans of Qods Day.

Eyewitnesses reported to Zamaneh of hearing
slogans such as "Oh, leader of the coup, this is our last message to you. The
Green Movement of Iran is ready to rise," an affirmation of the continuity of
the reform movement symbolized by the colour green.

"Neither Gaza, nor Lebanon. Our lives for Iran" was another chant establishing
the national concerns of the protesters as the true purpose of the march.

Khatami was attacked by thugs

Opposition leaders were also lauded through
chants of "long live..." to Montazeri, Karroubi, Mousavi and the incarcerated
reform leader Hajjarian.

Security and police forces attacked protesters with tear gas and pepper spray to
impede them from approaching the site of the Friday prayers at Tehran University
where Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and hardliner Ahmad Khatami had overtaken the Qods Day
speech from its customary speaker, moderate cleric, Ayatollah Hashemi
Rafsanjani.

The three top opposition leaders, Karroubi, Mousavi and Khatami were attacked
according to Fars news agency in the course of the demonstrations.

Similar protests rocked other major cities such
as Kermanshah, Tabriz, Isfahan, Rasht and Shiraz as well as Qom, Boushehr,
Kerman, Ahvaz and Yazd, all across the country.

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